Turn 5 Twister Strategies Compendium

[Kevee]

Running laps seems 50/50, the majority of our early attempts were 'sprint before it is cast and never stop running'. You can see some hilarity of this in the 'success' video if you look really closely actually. Eronn's (the PLD from the PoV) lands quite a few steps behind him while he's moving. Teloc's (the BLM) is literally like RIGHT behind him and nearly explodes. Then you can see the same thing in mine, except mine is just plain on top of me, boom.

What that poster was getting at, and wasn't properly represented in the video, is that the way to 100% gurantee a dodge against WotL on Titan is to pre-move. You're moving before the cast even starts. It's easy on Titan because he has a set rotation.

In both videos it looks like the PoV person was not pre-moving, and especially not in the second video. The second video it is clear that the person did not move until after the cast started. The first? The tank de-selects him, but from what I can see of the cast animation he also does not run until the cast starts.

If this is how the mechanic works, which I would agree with on what little twister experience I have, it would seem to be a positional update problem and the only way to fix it is to pre-move. Otherwise moving after the cast has started will give you that "50/50," just like many other abilities and mechanics in the game. Have you done a full pre-move attempt?

So in your video showing it exploding underneath you, it's actually detonating exactly underneath you as you run. It doesn't look like it's detonating a few steps behind you like positional lag would imply. If it were lag, I would think the twister would detonate behind you but you would still die, even though it looked like you were not directly under it on your screen.

It could be updating the position at the end of the cast in that scenario.

However, scenarios like that are the "iffy" things towards it being a "run out" mechanic. On the other hand, it "works" sometimes.

[Nabian]

I have a theory, and this is purely speculative at best because I have not started coils however...

Many people suggest the targeting and the pattern of the tornado's random? Is it possible that it is a mechanic similar to Ifrit plumes in 1.0 where there were certain predesignated "safe spots" My theory is that there are certain places on the map that are "safe" however I don't think they are static positions as in the Ifrit fight and that they move each time the spell is cast.

My suggestion would be to go into the fight with the purpose of dying and trying to map out each time the wipes occur where the location of the tornados spawn. Have every stand at predetermined locations and see who wipes and who gets targeted.

Does threat level have anything to do with it? I'd imagine not since it seems the tank can get targeted too.

Another suggestion would be to have everyone try standing as close as possible to the wall and see if that helps.

The last theory and probably most unlikely is this...what if its an unavoidable death that supposed to occur? Something intended where the group has to quickly raise those who died and hope it wasn't both healers or tanks?

[Ceol]

It could be updating the position at the end of the cast in that scenario.

However, scenarios like that are the "iffy" things towards it being a "run out" mechanic. On the other hand, it "works" sometimes.

Even if it were updating at the end, if it were based on player's position, the twister would be detonating centered a few steps behind them, like how Weight of the Land does. Instead, it's detonating exactly underneath them, as though the server told the client, "Fire off this animation wherever the player is because they are getting hit by it," instead of, "Fire off this animation at <pos> because that's where we thought they were."

Plus, there's no black circle like when a player places a twister. It's just the explosion. It really seems like a mechanic that needs to be prevented or mitigated.

[CalvatE]

So out of curiosity has anyone made a guide for before that? Our team is up to turn 5 but for that week we decided not to bother, then the following week it got shut down... and then we all know this weeks is too.

But with what few videos there are I don't even know what's going on pre-phase 50 lol. Someone care to make a list on what-how and stuff so I can begin throwing my body at it too? =P

[Ceol]

So in your video showing it exploding underneath you, it's actually detonating exactly underneath you as you run. It doesn't look like it's detonating a few steps behind you like positional lag would imply. If it were lag, I would think the twister would detonate behind you but you would still die, even though it looked like you were not directly under it on your screen. Does that make sense? Like on Titan, if you are running when he starts casting Weight of the Land, the circles will show up a few steps behind you due to the server thinking you are there. However in your videos, the detonation happens right under you as you are running.

It's almost as if the server has already determined you are going to get hit with it and is just informing the client of that fact. That makes me think it's a mechanic and not anything to do with positioning, especially since there aren't any markers or AoEs placed on people, correct?

That would also explain why some people are able to "place" the twisters and some people just get hit with them. Perhaps the server is telling the client, "Okay, this round, these players will place twisters, and these players will get hit by one." It's just figuring out what to do to prevent you from dying when it's your turn to get hit, maybe?

[Soukyuu]

Well there's crafted gear with slots .. What if we put wind materia's in them? Like reach over 300 in wind resist and we could maybe survive it somehow? It seems abit odd the game have resist materias when theres no real usage for them. just saying.

It also seems weird how nearly half the lvl70 ALC recipes are elemental resistance potions. I was under the impression they removed everything related to the elements from the game? Which makes it even less sense to have elemental resist potions and/or the elemental resist status as well as elemental materia.

A wind mega ward potion gives you a boost of max 64 (16%) resistance, HQ possibly even more. The problem is that medicine has a rather long cooldown, so you wouldn't be able to pop it every time it casts Twister. If you could tell who it chooses to be a target though...

Is "not moving at all" a strategy? Maybe the exploding tornado only damages you if you get out of the "eye of the storm"? (this is probably silly)

[Soukyuu]

That's why I proposed not moving at all. I wish I was at turn5 and it was open to test myself, but sometimes the seemingly silly ways lead to success.

[SonyaArin]

I don't have a video of it presently, but not moving at all was one of the first things we tried. You blow up. However as per the purpose of the thread, I'm going to add it to the list and let someone prove it with a video. Also, Ceol, I believe the difference between the way WoL's spot and Twister's spot is calculated is the reason you see the discrepancy. WoL has an animation at the start, therefore, the game is forced to take a snapshot of where you are. Then your only tasks is to move out of it and get one update yourself, and you're safe. With Twister, there is no visual effect to start. Despite the fact that it feels like it should snapshot where you started, it seems to snapshot only based on the usual self-timer, which could be somewhere midway in the cast, then you're STILL tasked with updating yourself and moving out of it.

I understand what Irial is suggesting, and it's because of the seeming difference in the way it's animated, and therefore the way it's updated, that running PRE cast actually seems to explode it even more often. What you're seeing in the second video is a loose attempt at trying to bro-science this very kind of thing of updating, and a lot of people are probably moving forward with this sort of strategy. At the end of the day though, if that's what people start to agree on, then all we've found is that there is no secret mechanic and that it is the same problem the entire rest of the game suffers.

[Sanca]

That's why I proposed not moving at all. I wish I was at turn5 and it was open to test myself, but sometimes the seemingly silly ways lead to success.

Do you really, I mean REALLY think hundreds of players that have poured dozens of hours into the encounter haven't tried not moving? Geez man think a little before you post.

[SonyaArin]

Also added Wind Resistance to the list, we've tried with some but no particular benchmark, HQ potion should put you near 300 hopefully so I'll set the req to 300.